


From Nowhere to Night Vale

by shezni



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-26
Updated: 2013-07-26
Packaged: 2017-12-21 09:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/898596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shezni/pseuds/shezni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A strange radio host encounters a strange dog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Nowhere to Night Vale

               Cecil Baldwin walked briskly along the sidewalk towards the Night Vale radio station with his notes for the day’s program in one hand and a sandwich in the other. It wasn’t often that he was late for work, but he’d been taking a nap to make up for the sleep he lost that night trying to stop the oozing problem in his sink. He hoped that station management wouldn’t be too upset with him about the mishap. He’d hate to spend another weekend in the Abandoned Storage Room of Pestilence again. Twice in one month was enough.

               “Excuse me, young man,” a soft voice from behind him said. He jumped slightly in surprise and turned to see a plump, sweet-looking old lady in a yellow apron standing waving at him. She seemed familiar, but she didn’t seem to be a regular resident of the town. Her silver hair seemed to form a cloudy halo around her head and her eyes were barely visible behind her thick glasses. She was holding a leash that seemed to be attached to an animal, but her pet was concealed behind her, almost as if it were hiding.

               “Young man,” she continued in her light Scottish accent, smiling innocently at him, “could you please tell me where I could find the dog park? I’d heard it has just been built not too long ago.” Cecil furrowed his brow. It’s true that the city had recently completed a dog park. In fact, there was an announcement from the city council about it in his notes, but he could only remember so much of it.

               “It’s on the corner of Earl and Summerset near the Ralph’s. Just take a right, head down a couple blocks and it should be right to your left” Cecil replied, gesturing with the hand that contained the sandwich. The old woman beamed at him.

               “Why, that’s not far at all! We’ll be there in no time, won’t we, Courage?” The old woman pulled gently on the leash and coaxed her pet from behind her skirts, revealing an odd-looking pink dog with two black spots on his back and floppy brown ears. The dog lurched from behind his master, his tiny legs shivering from what could have been either sickness or nerves. The trembling animal took one good look at Cecil, opened his mouth, jumped a good foot and a half in the air and _screamed_. It was not the howl or yelp of any frightened dog Cecil had ever heard. This was the full-throated scream of a man in terror. After his feet were back on the ground, the dog began gibbering wildly and pulling on his owner’s skirt, somehow managing to pantomime a third eye and a flailing set of tentacles. Cecil sighed. He was often unpopular with animals, but really, this dog was taking things a little too far. And he had tried so hard to conceal his tentacles today, too.

               The old woman looked embarrassed. “Oh, please excuse Courage,” she said hurriedly. “He’s really no good with strangers.” Cecil shook his head. “It’s not a problem. I’m sure the little guy is just excited about the new dog park!” The dog in question had reduced his desperate communication to moans and whimpers, apparently defeated by the woman’s lack of belief.

               “Well, we’d best be off! It was so nice meeting you!” The woman extended her hand and Cecil shook it firmly. “By the way,” she added, “what is your name?”

               “I’m Cecil Baldwin, Night Vale’s radio host. And you, ma’am?”

              “Muriel Bagge. It’s so good to meet nice young men like you nowadays! Come along, Courage. I’ll bet there’s a grand opening. Ooh, I wonder if we’ll get a prize!” And with that, Muriel dragged her reluctant dog down the street towards the Ralph’s as he wimpered and clawed desperately at the sidewalk, trying in vain to escape his doom.

               Cecil shook his head and smiled. He hoped they would have a lovely time.

* * *

 

Later that evening, as he was on his way home, Cecil saw the very same dog from earlier that day running down the street, a flamethrower on his back. Perhaps it was just Cecil’s fatigue, but he was almost certain he heard the dog mutter

 

               “The things I do for love.” 


End file.
